


Reciprocating Feelings

by LunarSpecter



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Cooking, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Persona 5 Spoilers, Romantic Fluff, headpats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-03-31 01:57:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13964892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarSpecter/pseuds/LunarSpecter
Summary: Futaba and Akira share several touching moments together, becoming better for each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.





	1. A Recipe for Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Futaba are alone in Leblanc and a chance to spend time together through cooking arises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, everyone! I’m LunarSpecter and many of you probably know me as the one who makes all the scanlations for Shufuta (Joker x Futaba) content. I decided to do some experimentation and try my hand at writing. This was very much acted on a whim, so I have no idea what my plans will be for writing after this. Maybe this will be a one-shot or maybe this will be a collection of short stories. I'm not even sure if my writing skills are even as good as I think they are, so please forgive me if my writing skills are subpar. Without further ado, enjoy my honest attempt at writing about my OTP!
> 
> *I’m likely to make many acknowledgements to late-game content and background info so spoilers are to be expected.  
> *The Persona 5 Protragonist for my works will be named as Akira Kurusu.  
> *Line breaks indicate time advancing or change in scenery.

_Clack clack clack clack clack…_

The keyboard buttons rhythmically tapped away within the walls of Leblanc. Despite not being especially loud, it was the only notable sound being made inside the cafe. Leblanc didn’t normally have many customers to begin with, but today was much slower than usual. It was late in the evening and there were currently no customers patronizing the store.

After working behind the monitor for so long, a certain hacker with long, flowing orange hair finally pulled away from her laptop and stretched out her arms. The girl known as Futaba Sakura adjusted her glasses and looked around at her surroundings, all the while attempting to hold back a yawn. The familiar dining area of Leblanc was the same as always. The only thing that was of any interest to her was a particular frizzy-haired boy behind the counter who was trying to stay productive by organizing the supply of coffee beans.

Despite the normal appearances of these teenagers, the two of them deceivingly operate as the Leader and Navigator for the infamous Phantom Thieves of Heart. The rebellious duo work under the aliases of Joker and Oracle, righting the wrongs that society imposed upon themselves and others. Joker with his daring actions and unrivaled wit performs in the field as Oracle provides invaluable intel and support. Along with the assistance of the other members, they delve into cognitive minds and steal the hearts of the most corrupted villains. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these same two individuals, sharing the same sense of justice, are also dating as boyfriend and girlfriend.

“Akiraaaaa, I’m bored...!”

Futaba slumped onto the counter in anguish. Akira turned around and couldn’t help but chuckle at her childish behavior.

Normally, the owner Sojiro would be minding the store and serving his regulars. However, he was invited over to a small reunion with several old acquaintances from his days as a government worker. As for Morgana, Akira’s talkative feline companion, he opted to take a nap in the attic rather than stick around the whole day trying not to get in the way of business. This left Akira to take over Leblanc while Futaba kept him company. Although, it seemed it was a wasted effort due to the absence of customers.

“Weren’t you doing something on your computer?”

“Yeah, but there’s nothing else to do now. Can’t we go do something else? Ugh… I’m dying of boredom here…”

Futaba pouted and pleadingly looked towards the boy’s direction. In turn, Akira gave her a patient smile and looked up at clock on the wall.

“I think it’s safe to close up shop at this point. Are you hungry? Why don’t I cook us dinner?”

“Oooh~ One order of the Leblanc Curry Special ASAP!!”

She sat back up on her seat with renewed vigor, her eyes lit up in anticipation.

“Alright, alright… One Leblanc Curry Special coming right up.”

In response, Futaba happily hummed to herself and rocked in her chair as she waited for her favorite dish in the world to be served. Meanwhile, Akira flipped the sign outside the door and began preparation in the kitchen. The café became lively again with the sounds of banging pots and utensils, sizzling of oil, and the knife tapping on top of the cutting board.

While Akira continued cooking, Futaba went back onto her laptop and planned to keep herself entertained until it was time to eat. She browsed through various websites checking out cute videos of cats, accessing foreign databases (which may or may not be illegal), and eyeing a piece of cool hardware which was priced much more than her budget allowed. After a few moments, curiosity got the best of her and her eyes drifted away from the screen and were set on her boyfriend behind the counter.

Akira was attentively chopping the necessary vegetables for the recipe, but Futaba wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing. Rather, she was staring at his face as he focused on the task at hand. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she found his face extremely mesmerizing. She could obviously admire how attractive her boyfriend is. However, that’s not the only reason why Futaba was so captivated with the mysterious boy.

When looking into his eyes, there was just a sense of… clear purpose in them. From a normal standpoint, Akira was just a very compassionate high school student. But Futaba knew better than that. Despite the mask he wears out in public, she could see still see the dark, bold eyes of Joker, the defiant Leader of the Phantom Thieves who challenges the unjust confines of society. These were the same eyes she gazed upon last summer as he stole her heart and saved her from herself. The same eyes she grew to rely upon. The same eyes she would inevitably fall in love with.

“Um… Earth to Futaba..?”

“Woah!?”

Futaba dramatically staggered in surprise, nearly falling out of her seat. She got so caught up in her daydreaming she hadn’t realized that Akira had approached her and was repeatedly calling out her name. Akira caught her by her shoulders and helped her retain her balance.

“Are you okay? You were really spacing out just now.”

“I-I-I-I’m totally fine!! Operating at maximum efficiency!”

Futaba nervously fidgeted and was obviously flustered. Not only did her boyfriend notice her staring, she had put herself in an awkward position. Akira didn’t seem entirely convinced at her response, but decided to let it slide.

“Well, if you say so… I was trying to ask you if you’d like coffee with your dinner. And don’t worry, I won’t repeat that disastrous blend I concocted last time.”

Both of them recalled the time Akira attempted to “put some love into” two servings of coffee. The overwhelming bitterness of drink was unappetizing to say the least. Futaba cringed at the memory, but also calmed down a bit from her previous outburst.

“Sure. I’ll take you up on your offer, barista.”

Akira nodded and began making his way back behind the counter.

“W-Wait..!”

Futaba hopped off the chair and followed Akira to the kitchen.

“U-Um… Do you need any help..?”

Akira was somewhat surprised at the suggestion which caused Futaba to struggle with coming up with her next words.

“You always go out of your way to help me and everything. I thought maybe I could provide support in the kitchen or something...”

Her boyfriend smiled at how cute she was right now. He instinctively reached out and patted Futaba on her head, something that only caused her to blush even more.

“I would really appreciate that.”

* * *

 

“Here’s the secret ingredient for the Leblanc Curry Special! Errr, did I grate them like I was supposed to?”

Futaba held the bowl containing the grated apples for the curry and waited expectantly for Akira to check.

“Mhmm. Looks good. Go ahead and grab the other ingredients and we’ll add them to the pot.”

“Heheh~ Copy that, Joker!”

His lovely assistant wore a huge grin on her face as she trotted off to follow his instructions. Futaba was wearing an apron, just like he was. They had found a spare lying around, although it was pretty big on her. Regardless, she looked quite happy to play the part and imagine being a regular employee at Leblanc. It didn’t hurt that she just looked so cute in the apron too.

Futaba assisted her boyfriend as best as she could, despite not being all too familiar with the kitchen. Eventually, a spicy, mouth-watering aroma filled the room and the Leblanc Curry Special was successfully made. Knowing how impatient the hungry hacker could be, he swiftly plated the curry for both him and Futaba and sat next to her in one of the booths. Not being one to hold back, Futaba began digging into her plate.

“Mmmmm~ Ish shoooo good..!!”

Akira chuckled at her usual proclamation. He could never get over how adorable she was or how fun it was just being around her. They ate the delicious food in front of them until Futaba spoke up once again.

“Y’know, I didn’t really notice how much work went into cooking. Until I met Sojiro, I didn’t get to eat much home-cooked meals because Mom was too busy with her research.”

Akira looked to Futaba and gave her his full attention. Despite how childish Futaba tended to act, he knew she had her serious moments too.

“Mom usually had to buy food from the convenience store because she came home so late. Sometimes, I would fall asleep waiting for her to come home too. Though, I really didn’t like eating the bento she got from the store. They just tasted really bland… But I didn’t want to act so selfish ‘cause I knew Mom was doing the best she could. So, I just pretended that I did like them. That way I wouldn’t burden her so much.”

Despite recalling a memory full of hardship, Akira could tell that Futaba cherished every interaction she had with her mother. Even though Futaba was just one girl, she went out of her way to care for those close to her, often neglecting herself. That was something that Akira admired about Futaba. She never hesitates to make those she cares about happy. Just like when she temporarily overcame her fear of crowds to buy some fireworks. All of that effort for a person she hardly knew at the time.

“But now that you and Sojiro cook for me all the time, I’m sad that I don’t get to share these meals with her.”

Futaba’s face twisted into a bittersweet smile. In turn, Akira pulled her closer and securely wrapped his arm around her. She paused for a moment before relaxing and continuing on.

“That’s why I want to learn how to cook. At least a little bit. I can’t just expect you guys to feed me all the time. And maybe I can make food for you guys instead! I’m sure Mom would be proud of me if I did.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Why don’t I help teach you?”

“Oh, in that case, I’ll add it to the promise list. New Quest Acquired: Achieve at least a Decent ranking in Culinary Proficiency!”

And somehow, Futaba managed to pull herself out of her melancholy and be her usual cheerful self. He really did believe Futaba was a much stronger person than she realized.

“Well, if you’re gonna take on another quest, what should the reward be this time?”

“Ummm… I’ll leave that decision to you!”

Futaba continued talking about how she should do research online and figure out how to grind enough experience points to level up. After discussing with her partner in crime, they decided that the next time the café wasn’t so busy Akira would teach her how to make rice balls. The couple kept talking into the night, enjoying their time together, until Sojiro called the store and let them know he had arrived home. Not wanting to worry the café owner, the boy offered to walk his girlfriend home before it got too late.

* * *

The streets of Yongenjaya were quite dark, even with the lighting from the street lamps and windows. Since there were hardly any people up and about at this hour, Futaba walked along side Akira without a care in the world. The distance between Leblanc and the Sakura residence wasn’t very far, but it did give the two of them enough of an opportunity to hang out for a while longer.

“Don’t you ever feel cold wearing clothes like that?”

Akira took a glance at her girlfriend’s outfit, taking into considering how chilly the nights have been getting. Though she was wearing a jacket with fur coating, it didn’t seem to compensate nearly enough for the amount of skin she exposed.

“Mmm… Not really. If I don’t think about it, it doesn’t bother me.”

She shrugged off the thought, not realizing how polarizing her clothes appeared at a glance. In hindsight, however, her choice in fashion was similar to how she doesn’t seem to care too much about societal norms in general.

“I could always hold your hand to keep them warm if they get cold, Futaba.”

“Huh!? Umm..! S-Sure, I guess..!”

She hadn’t anticipated him to make such a bold statement. Futaba walked slightly further ahead of him, as if to make a strategic retreat from the devious Phantom Thief. With how smooth Akira was at times, Futaba had to be cautious to avoid having her heart stolen again. Soon after, both of them arrived at the gate to the Sakura residence.

“Alright, I’ll be going now. I’ll text you as soon as I get back home, okay? Good night, Futaba.”

“Mmm. Good night, Akira…”

The boy reached out and gave her an affectionate pat on the head, which Futaba wholeheartedly accepted. His fingers ran through her bright orange locks and she savored his delicate touch, making a barely audible sound to voice her satisfaction. They may not act like a normal couple, but interactions like these were absolutely irreplaceable and special between the two. Sadly, Akira did have to return home at some point. He pulled back his hand and gave Futaba one more longing stare before beginning to make his way back.

“…W-Wait...!”

“Hmm?”

Akira turned around, noticing that Futaba seemed to be a little more fidgety and reserved than usual.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Umm… Actually… there was one more thing I wanted to add to my promise list…”

“Oh? What is it? Maybe I can help you with that too.”

Not having a clue as to what she was talking about, he awaited Futaba’s response.

“It’s too embarrassing to say out loud…”

She motioned him to come closer. Akira complied and leaned in, still confused about what she had in mind. He would soon get his answer.

Once he was close enough, Futaba grabbed his shirt to pull him down to her height and pressed her lips onto his. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but the warm and soft sensation seemed to linger for an eternity between the two. She shyly backed away and opened her eyes to see Akira’s shocked expression. Both of their faces were flushed from the tender moment they just shared. Joker, the man capable of swaying people’s hearts into his favor, was somehow speechless before a small and reserved girl.

“You granted me the right to never leave you… and I want to make that decision worthwhile… So as thanks for choosing me, I promise to be the best girlfriend I can be..!”

Futaba’s heart pounded wildly as she declared her feelings.

“Futaba…”

No words could describe how overjoyed he was hearing her say this. When he first arrived in Tokyo, Akira lived an undesirable existence. Although things have greatly improved after becoming a Phantom Thief, it was always Futaba who accepted him, made him feel like he truly belonged.

“Well… good night!”

Futaba quickly ran off and disappeared into the house, leaving Akira outside. He quietly looked back at the house, thinking about what Futaba had said.

Even as he walked and returned to Leblanc, he couldn’t help but feel elated about tonight’s events. Morgana inevitably noticed his owner’s behavior, but decided against prying into his personal matters (he figured it had to deal with Futaba anyways). Akira got ready for bed and took out his phone, lying down on his bed in the attic. He texted Futaba that he had gotten back home and told her good night one more time. Based on the short messages she sent him, he could tell she was still quite embarrassed over her actions today. Putting aside his phone, Akira looked up at the ceiling and pondered. From the start, he intended on moving slowly with their relationship. At this point though, Futaba had somehow taken charge and moved ahead at her own pace, sparking a competitive fire in his heart. Admittedly, Akira wondered if he could continue being a gentleman if Futaba was going to keep surprising him like this.

“That reminds me… she should get a reward for completing that promise too.”

Although Futaba gave him the responsibility of rewarding her efforts, he doubted he could ever fully repay her for everything she’s done for him. But Joker wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. After giving it some thought, Akira had a vague idea of what he should do. Perhaps the best reward for Futaba completing her promise list was to be an even greater boyfriend for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reaching the end! Most of my inspiration for this is based on my long-running relationship that I have (living out my very own IRL Joker x Futaba ship, if you will). I hope that with my mediocre writing ability that I'm able to to successfully express even a fraction of my feelings that I felt with my significant other. Since I'm still quite new to the actual creation of fanfiction, I appreciate any feedback, including criticisms. I doubt I'll be able to update frequently, but I hope to improve and possibly provide more content in the future. Thanks again for reading!


	2. Ever-Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira receives a text from Futaba in the middle of the night. Something is bothering her to the point that she is unable to sleep. What is it and how will her boyfriend fix this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note:  
> Hello again, everyone! Sorry about how delayed the next chapter was. I’ve been quite busy IRL and it’s hard to motivate myself to sit down and write. I really wasn’t sure if I was even going to add more chapters and was almost decidedly leaving it as a one-shot until I was just randomly inspired to write an idea out. So I do apologize if there seem to be inconsistencies. It’s something I’m gonna have to work on. I also did not plan on raising the rating for this fanfic lol. Things were being typed out and suddenly my imagination went into overdrive and I couldn’t stop! Regardless, I hope you enjoy my imaginative endeavors!
> 
> *I’m likely to make many acknowledgements to late-game content and background info so spoilers are to be expected.  
> *The Persona 5 Protragonist for my works will be named as Akira Kurusu.  
> *Line breaks indicate time advancing or change in scenery.

_Pi pi pi!_

The sudden sound that rang out in the night was met with a mumbled groan, followed by creaking from the old mattress.  Akira was sleeping at his usual spot in the attic of Leblanc before he was rudely awakened by a familiar disturbance.  Morgana, who was curled up beside him, was equally annoyed from being woken up.

“Ughhh… Again?  Why do people feel the need to text you this late?  Can’t it wait till tomorrow?”

The talking black cat yawned and irritatingly twitched his ears as he awaited to find out what was so important to interrupt his precious sleep.  Akira fumbled into his pocket and pulled out his phone to discover a message from none other than his girlfriend, Futaba.

(Hey, are you awake..?  Are you free right now?)

This was a little unusual.  Normally, Futaba and his other friends would be inquiring about a possible plan to hang out for tomorrow, not asking if they were immediately available.  The boy was about to move his fingers to reply, but another message popped up.

(Nvm.  Forget I said anything.)

“Huh? What’s gotten into her?”

Morgana read the screen and voiced his thoughts.  Akira was also confused with Futaba’s messages.  Something was clearly bothering her if she felt the need to contact him at this time. 

(I’m awake.  What’s wrong?)

There was no response after a whole minute.  He thought Futaba had possibly gone back to sleep and he himself was going to do the same until Futaba finally answered.

(I had a nightmare…  Do you think I could come over there..?)

Akira paused for a moment.  He wondered whether or not he should ask Sojiro for permission first.  He certainly didn’t want him to catch them, thinking that they were having a secret romantic rendezvous.  But at the same time, that would require him to wake up Sojiro who was definitely asleep.  Plus, he felt that Futaba chose to ask him specifically and not her adoptive father for a reason.  His heart tightened knowing that something was troubling his girlfriend this much.  What exactly did she dream about?

(Sure.  Go ahead and make your way here and I’ll unlock the door for you.)

(Okay.  I’ll see you there.)

“Sounds like I should leave you two alone.  Go ahead.  I’ll just hang around outside in the meantime.  Try not to take too long though.”

“I’ll try not to.  Thanks.”

Morgana was reluctant to get up, but knew he should respect his partner’s privacy.  Morgana hopped off the bed and showed himself out.  The young boy never did understand how the mysterious black cat could get around without his help.  Then again, this same cat was capable of picking locks and turning into a car, so perhaps he shouldn’t think too hard about it.  Akira yawned and prepared himself for Futaba’s eventual arrival.

 

* * *

 

 

“Are you sure you aren’t too tired?  I could just go back home if you want.”

“I don’t mind, okay?  Here.”

Futaba fidgeted nervously in one of the booths of Leblanc.  Her boyfriend placed a cup of hot coffee in front of her on the table before sitting down next to her with his own cup.  Not exactly the best thing to be drinking in the middle of the night, but it was the most he could offer.  The two of them took several sips of their drinks together in silence.  Both of them had not changed out of their sleeping clothes for their spontaneous meeting.  Futaba was still in her dark gray shorts and long-sleeved black and white shirt with the acronym “JLMK”.  The glasses-less attic boy was dressed in his plain black shirt and pale green baggy sweatpants.  Although they weren’t unfamiliar with each other’s current appearance, this was a first for the couple to be together in these clothes at the same time.

Akira glanced over at Futaba who was lost in thought.  Her normally long and straight orange hair was tangled and her posture seemed to be less composed than usual.  Futaba’s face was somewhat obscured from her hair and downward gaze, but he was able to see that her eyes were quite red behind her glasses.  Was she not getting enough sleep?  Everything about her seems to hint that she was extremely tired for various reasons.  It didn’t take much to notice that something about the petite girl was off.  Akira frowned seeing her not be her usual cheerful self before choosing to speak.

“So, what happened in this dream of yours that’s bothering you?”

Now that her boyfriend initiated the conversation, Futaba hesitated and tried to formulate what she wanted to say.  After much internal conflict and stuttering, she finally managed to speak up what was on her mind.

“I dreamt that… you didn’t exist…”

“Hmm?  What do you mean..?”

 “Mmm… I mean that you never came to save me and I never left my… tomb…”

Tomb… That was a word he didn’t think he would ever hear again as a Palace keyword.    The Phantom Thief leader recalled his memories being in that Egyptian dungeon.  Dunes of sand under a blazing sun, stone corridors riddled with sarcophaguses and traps, and a small withdrawn girl who had accepted her self-imposed death sentence at the center of it all.  It was one of the toughest challenges he had ever had to face.

“No matter how long I waited I was just stuck in that coffin the whole time.  And that thing with my Mom’s face kept glaring at me…  I tried to call out your name, but those voices wouldn’t stop yelling at me..!”

Futaba’s voice trembled and tears were starting to form on the corners of her eyes.  Akira’s heart sunk listening to her.  He pulled her towards him and allowed her to lean on his shoulder.  He wrapped his hands around hers and attempted to calm her down.

“Shhhh… It’s alright, Futaba.  It’s not real and I’m right here now.”

“I knew it wasn’t real.  But I still let it get to me… Just the thought of you never being in my life terrified me.”

“…”

“Hanging out with everyone and overcoming my fears… Th-Thinking that all these of these great memories we made together never actually happened…  And that those painful feelings I had before would never go away..!”

The tears building up in Futaba’s eyes finally began to overflow and the she desperately clung to Akira’s shirt.  In return, Akira held her in his arms as if to protect her from all of the dangers in the world.  He hated seeing someone so important to him suffering like this.

“Then, I finally woke up… But…”

“But what?”

 “My head felt all funny and heavy and I kept thinking of what if’s… Like even though you’re here right now, what if you disappeared or decided you didn’t want to be around me anymore…”

Futaba looked up directly at Akira’s face.  Her eyes were redder now from crying and she appeared so… defenseless.  Honestly, he was quite taken aback by how emotional she had become.

“Hey… am I good enough for you..?  I know I’m not nearly as pretty as Ann, Makoto, or Haru and-“

“Futaba, don’t say things like that.”

Akira removed the glasses off of Futaba’s face which had become smudged from her tears.  She initially flinched at his touch, but relaxed and allowed him to set them aside.  Akira gently cupped his hands around her face and placed his forehead onto hers.  Futaba could only look directly into his eyes, silently begging for him to dissipate her worries.

“You’re more than enough for me.  I’m the luckiest guy in the world to even have you as my girlfriend.”

“A-Are you sure..? Do you really mean that..?”

“I do.  I’m sure of it.”

Futaba’s hands reached up slowly and found themselves wrapped around one of Akira’s arms.  Even as he spoke and held her so carefully, she still struggled with accepting his assuring words.  Tears continued to flow down the sides of her cheeks and dropped onto Akira’s hands.  Futaba raised her voice and seemed to just let go of all of her emotions that she’d been holding back.

“You’re so important to me… If you hadn’t stolen my heart, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.  I just couldn’t think straight before.  When I found out the Phantom Thieves were the real thing, I finally had hope again…”

Futaba paused and averted her eyes away from his face before continuing.

“If no one came to help me… I… I probably would’ve…”

Don’t say it.  Akira didn’t even want to consider what Futaba’s last resort would have been.  Even though he honestly knew the answer, he wanted to erase all traces of that possibility from his and her mind.  He needed to let her know that she deserved to be here.  That she belonged with him.  Akira stared longingly at Futaba who was still deep in thought and then took a deep breath.

No.  More than anything, he needed her.  Just as how she couldn’t imagine her life without him, he couldn’t imagine living life without her either.  Although the Phantom Thief leader was usually composed and confident, it was a mask he used to hide from the world, even to his friends to some degree.  Not Futaba though.  At first, he had interacted with her out of concern for her fragile nature and partly because of her relationship with his temporary guardian, Sojiro.  But she had shown him an unexpected amount of kindness and care, despite barely knowing him at all.  Her every action, her every word seemed to directly sneak through his mask and touch his heart.  Eventually, he began to constantly think about her and look forward to every opportunity to spend time with her.  Now, they heavily relied and supported each other as both Phantom Thieves and lovers.

Akira moved to wipe away the tears on Futaba’s face.  He cherished absolutely everything about the wonderful girl who was in front of him.  And he needed to get rid of all of the pain she was experiencing.  Likewise, he wanted to erase the feeling of watching his girlfriend be so cruelly tormented by her fears.  Futaba looked at him curiously.

“… Akira..?”

“…”

He remained silent for a moment.  Futaba gazed into his eyes filled with resolution before he decisively pressed his lips onto hers.  She let out a muffled whine and unconsciously resisted his advance, caught off guard by her boyfriend’s sudden behavior.  One hand travelled to the back of her head and the other moved around her waist to secure a firmer grip.  Futaba had never seen her boyfriend act this way before.  He had always been very kind to her and considered how she felt, even if he tended to sweet talk at times.  But this wild course of action was more reminiscent of-

Joker… Memories of her rescue in the desert began to flood her mind.  She thought again about the liberating feeling of awakening to her rebellious will and the boy responsible for her metamorphosis.  The one who risked his life to see her live her life again against a terrifying monster.   The one who saved her from her loneliness and depression.  The one who stole her heart.

Feeling the warm sensation on her lips and the presence of his body melted away her fears.  She wanted- No. She _needed_ to forget everything and focus only on him.  Futaba wrapped herself around Akira, further closing the gap between them.  In response, he put increasingly more passion into the kiss.  She kissed him back attempting to match his pace.  The two of them could feel their bodies become hotter and a growing hunger for more was eating at them.  Akira was doing his best not to come onto her too strongly, but he was finding it extremely difficult to hold himself back. 

In an abrupt motion, Akira pushed her against the backseat of the booth and started kissing at her neck.  Futaba closed her eyes shut and helplessly clung onto him.  She unsuccessfully tried to suppress her moaning as her boyfriend continued to attack her vulnerable neck.  Hearing Futaba struggle only fueled Akira’s desire to pleasure her even more.  He instinctively reached down and began moving his hand underneath her shirt.  Surprised by his touch, Futaba’s body convulsed in response.

_Clatter!!_

Both of them had jumped at the unexpected sound and snapped back to reality.  They quickly sat back down normally in the booth, fearing that someone like Sojiro intruded upon their… session.  When nothing seemed out of the ordinary in Leblanc, they stared at each other in confusion.  Then, Akira discovered the culprit at the corner of his eye and went to pick it up.  He held up Futaba’s glasses and couldn’t help but start to chuckle.  Apparently, the glasses must have gotten knocked off the table somehow and made the intruding sound.  He cleaned the lenses with his shirt and placed them back onto her bewildered face.  He shyly scratched the back of his head, realizing that he unintentionally got carried away.

“I’m not going anywhere, Futaba.  I promised you, didn’t I?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Akira pulled her into an embrace and held her close.  Futaba eased into his hug and enjoyed his warmth. 

“I granted you the right to never have to leave me.  As long as you have that, you won’t ever have to worry about me being apart from you… okay?”

He gently stroked her head and she gave into her urge to bury her face into his chest.  He’s very much real and nothing was going to take that away from her.  She truly felt like the happiest girl in world.

“In that case, could I use that right for the rest of the night?”

Akira was about to open his mouth to reason how that request may be a little difficult to fulfill.  However, the smile she on her face was impossible even for the great Joker to deny.  He had no choice but to yield to his Navigator’s demands.

 

* * *

 

 

“Awww, why can’t you come over here and sleep next to me?”

“As much I’d love to, I should try to minimize the chance of Sojiro killing me in the morning.  Though considering that you’re gonna be spending the night under the same roof as me, I’ve probably already forfeited my life.”

Futaba was lying down on his bed and was already wrapped up underneath his blanket.  She was extremely disappointed that despite staying the night in the attic her boyfriend wasn’t going to share the same bed as her.  After that passionate moment they shared, he was already back to being a gentleman.  Admittedly, she was a little surprised with how bold and selfish she was being, but she blamed it on Akira for moving things so quickly.  She couldn’t help but get caught up in the mood.  What girl wouldn’t want to end an intimate night besides a charming and handsome guy like him?  Annoyed with Akira’s logical conclusion, she pouted and completely covered herself with the blanket. 

“Fine! I guess I’ll just cuddle up with Mona all night once he gets back.” 

“Don’t be like that…”

Her boyfriend partly removed the covers off of her and patted her head.  Enjoying his tender touch, she nuzzled his hand and dropped the act.  She checked to see what he did and realized that he had moved the sofa next to the bed.

“We’re still sleeping in the same room, aren’t we?  Besides, I think this arrangement is as perfect as it will get.”

“Always thinking one step ahead, huh, Joker?”

“Haha, of course.”

Akira stopped patting her head and laid down on the sofa.  With how he set things up, they were now facing each other which was a detail Futaba was more than satisfied with.  He removed her glasses from her face once again and set them aside next to where his own glasses were.  After getting comfortable, he reached out and offered his hand to her.

“Shall we save our progress for today and recharge, Oracle?”

“Heheh, roger that! Powering down~”

She closed her hand around his and closed her eyes to rest.  Akira chose to stay awake and watched her until he noticed her breathing change into a more relaxed tempo.  The expression on her face was calm and sincerely happy.  Akira squeezed her hand and hoped she will get to sleep like this much more often from now on.  He once again thought about their meeting and everything up to that point.  Finally, Akira closed his eyes and drifted to sleep with one thought on his mind: out of all of the Palaces he had infiltrated, Futaba was the greatest Treasure he had ever taken and one he planned to protect for the rest of his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading until the end. I'm still quite embarrassed with writing some of the more spicier moments since I'm still quite new to it. I hope it turned out well and that I was able to make the reasons for it more real through their character development. Fearing that the person you care for so dearly can some day disappear or never exist in the first place is something I've experienced for myself. I felt that Futaba likewise would've had the same fears, especially with how much of an impact Joker made on her life. That's what inspired me this time around to write a whole new chapter. I don't know the next time I'll be motivated to write again, but please look forward to it when I manage to publish it. Any feedback is appreciated as always~ Thanks again for reading!


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